Transcription

1 Health and Safety Executive Exploration of the affect of litigation culture on the attribution and reporting of slip and trip accidents Prepared by the Health and Safety Laboratory for the Health and Safety Executive 2007 RR552 Research Report

2 Health and Safety Executive Exploration of the affect of litigation culture on the attribution and reporting of slip and trip accidents Richard Snodgrass Ed Corbett BSc (Hons), MSc Louise Carter BSc (Hons) Health and Safety Laboratory Harpur Hill Buxton Derbyshire SK17 9JN Health and Safety Executive statistics show no decrease in the number of reported slip and trip accidents. Is it because there are more accidents of this nature than in previous years or are there other factors that are impinging on the statistics? Due to changes in the litigation law in recent years, lawyers have been offering a no win no fee service, which appears (on the surface), to be generating a tendency amongst individuals to pursue claims of negligence, even in the most frivolous of cases. Along with this there have been media adverts encouraging people who have had an accident to seek compensation. Reports in the press also suggest that there are many companies willing to pay out small amounts of compensation rather than fight a more costly litigation process. Society continues to change and there is less tolerance when it comes to risk. Incidents are reported in the media of outdoor school activities being cancelled because of fears of accidents (compensation claims). At the same time there is a groundswell against frivolous claims by the general public, which seems to indicate that, for the majority, there is such a concept as acceptable risk. But to what extent is this risk acceptance more or less tolerated than it was say 10 years ago? The purpose of this work was to determine the effect of this heightened awareness, brought about by media activity, on the reporting of accidents, (if any). This report and the work it describes were funded by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Its contents, including any opinions and/or conclusions expressed, are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect HSE policy. HSE Books

3 Crown copyright 2007 First published 2007 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the copyright owner. Applications for reproduction should be made in writing to: Licensing Division, Her Majesty s Stationery Office, St Clements House, 2 16 Colegate, Norwich NR3 1BQ or by e mail to office.x.gsi.gov.uk ii

4 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors would like to thank the following for their help in this work. Steve Butcher Regional Director Northern Rail. Paul Robinson Sainsburys PLC Miles Burger Association of Professional Injury Lawyers APIL Lorraine Gwinnutt Association of Professional Injury Lawyers (APIL) Paul Cocker APIL members contributing to this work And all those who kindly took part in the interviews. iii

5 iv

6 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Introduction Health and Safety Executive statistics show no decrease in the number of reported slip and trip accidents. Is it because there are more accidents of this nature than in previous years or are there other factors that are impinging on the statistics? Due to changes in the litigation law in recent years, lawyers have been offering a no win no fee service, which appears (on the surface), to be generating a tendency amongst individuals to pursue claims of negligence, even in the most frivolous of cases. Along with this there have been media adverts encouraging people who have had an accident to seek compensation. Reports in the press also suggest that there are many companies willing to pay out small amounts of compensation rather than fight a more costly litigation process. Society continues to change and there is less tolerance when it comes to risk. Incidents are reported in the media of outdoor school activities being cancelled because of fears of accidents (compensation claims). At the same time there is a groundswell against frivolous claims by the general public, which seems to indicate that, for the majority, there is such a concept as acceptable risk. But to what extent is this risk acceptance more or less tolerated than it was say 10 years ago? The purpose of this work was to determine the effect of this heightened awareness, brought about by media activity, on the reporting of accidents, (if any). Methodology This study employed both quantitative and qualitative techniques (multi-method) engaging solicitors, insurers, H/S representatives from, manufacturing and retail and a survey of the general public to address the research question. Results Findings indicate that employers are recording and reporting more accidents as a self-defence mechanism against the threat of possible litigation. Employers/managers are taking more precautions with those having accidents on their premises (both employees and the public) e.g. offering to take people to hospital for a check up, then some more accidents are being recorded under RIDDOR than previously. Findings also indicate that the general public and employees are less inhibited about reporting slip and trip accidents as they are more aware of their rights and therefore less tolerant of what they see as unfair treatment, however litigation is not usually their first action. Findings suggest that people mainly resort to law if they believe that their complaint has not been fully acknowledged. Where organizations are conciliatory (e.g. acknowledging that people have a grievance) in their approach to people slipping and tripping on their premises, litigation is less likely. The majority of people however, are more likely to make a claim for compensation if their injuries are serious and if the organization is perceived as remote e.g. local councils from the individual. Results indicate that people are less likely to make a claim against their employers. It also appears that litigation has peaked and claims are beginning to stabilise. The threat of litigation has caused organizations to put into place policies and control measures to reduce accidents this has been primarily to defend themselves against litigation. In theory, at least, this should mean that accident statistics should begin to reflect this by showing a reduction in the number of accidents taking place but as organizations are v

7 recording and reporting more (that would previously not have been reported), to protect themselves, this may be confounding the statistics. Both the threat of litigation and inspections are viewed as equally important driving forces in reducing slip and trip accidents. The combinations of litigation and health and safety visits (both advisory and enforcement) were therefore all seen as essential to improving safety. Industries are seeing costs increase, this is because average payouts have increased but accidents themselves are not increasing. Conclusions and Recommendations HSE needs to engage with the Insurance Sector to help and support them in understanding how slips and trips are caused and can be prevented. HSE should also approach the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) to explore how they can help and support their members in understanding how slips and trips are caused and can be prevented. vi

10 1 PURPOSE To explore the effect of the Litigation Culture on the attribution and reporting of slip and trip accidents. 1.1 OBJECTIVES 1. To ascertain if the threat of litigation is more effective than a health and safety visit. 2. To establish if slips and trips accidents are still viewed in the same way. For example, has there been a reduction in embarrassment and tolerance amongst employees? If so what has been the effect: Are there higher expectations amongst employees as a result? Has there been an increase in blame culture? 3. To establish the effect of the slips project so far, has the programme had an influence? Are employees more aware of slip and trip accidents? Is it because of the no win no fee type advertising, inspector interventions or because of the slips and trips campaign. 4. To establish if litigation has had an effect on the number of, or seriousness of, slip and trip accidents being reported. For example, have reporting levels in organisations increased in the last few years, if so, is it because of the so-called claims culture, or are there other reasons? Has there been an increase in the reporting of over three day, or major injuries relating to slips and trips? 5. To ascertain if companies are seeing an increase in financial burden due to slip and trip insurance claims and to gain a picture of how much slip and trip accident claims cost the insurance industry every year, if possible, compared to another claim type which industry sees as being one of their current major concerns, such as stress. Many small claims are settled out of court, is this taken into account when calculating the total cost from claims. 1.2 BACKGROUND HSC has identified Slips and Trips as one of its priority programmes. Its objective being to reduce the incidence rate of fatal and major injuries caused by slips and trips by 5% by 2004, and by 10% by However recent research carried out by HSL found that many industries do not see slips and trips as being a problem and give more importance to other issues. It is hoped that the deliverables from this project can be used to persuade industry of the high costs and prevalence associated to slip and trip accidents and encourage employers to move it higher up their agenda. It is clear that more baseline information is needed on causes, trends and industry/sector issues, if targets such as these are to be met. It is believed that the project will assist in providing factual data on the economic and business costs of slips and trips. It will also improve knowledge of the causative factors, particularly in relation to human factors issues. In the last few years, there appears to have been a significant increase in the number of advertisements informing the public that if they have had a slip or a trip at work, they may be eligible for compensation. As well as employing traditional advertising techniques, such as television and radio, advertising has reached new levels, it has even been found on hospital appointment cards. If people are responding to the advertising, it raises several questions. What effect is the perceived compensation culture having on the reporting and attribution of slip and trip accidents? What about causative factors, are people now behaving differently? Do they still 1

11 look at slip and trip incidents as being trivial and inconsequential? The results are used to better inform the slips and trips programme and improve knowledge of the causes, trends and issues associated with reported slip and trip injuries 2

12 2 METHODOLOGY To answer the above research questions the methodology for this work used, telephone interviews, questionnaires and focus groups as well as a literature search. It used sources, from: Health and Safety professionals, management, trades unions, the Insurance industry and Solicitors involved in litigation as well as the general public. By tapping into all of these sources the data can be considered robust to give a clear picture as to what is happening. To keep this project manageable, within both budget and timescale, a sample of managers and health and safety professionals was used from the retail and manufacturing sector only. To add breadth to the study samples were taken from different locations. Consistency of findings constitute both robustness and degree of generalizability. One question to answer was about are people more aware now (about slips and trips) than before e.g. ten years ago? This will be tapping into long-term memory, which may have been influenced by other factors not associated with the phenomena being explored. Interview schedules were constructed for use with solicitors, insurance companies, trades unions and managers in the retail and manufacturing industries. An attitude questionnaire was constructed for use with the general public. Interviews took place with managers in three major shopping centres in the Midlands, Yorkshire and Greater Manchester. Telephone interviews were arranged with managers in the retail and manufacturing sectors. Telephone Interviews were also used to gain Trades Union input and input from insurance companies. A focus group was used for solicitors involved in injury litigation. Objective information in the form of statistical data was requested at every opportunity; however, there was a great deal of reluctance to furnish this information on the part of the majority of respondents. The attitude questionnaire was constructed to determine what people s attitudes were in reporting and bringing litigation action in respect of injuries through slip and trip accidents. It was also hoped that it would give some insight into whether or not peoples attitudes to reporting accidents and/or bringing litigation action had changed in response to the no win no fee and the advertising campaigns operated over the last ten years, as a result of this, encouraging people to make claims for any type of accident. If the advent of the no win no fee approach to redress in the courts, had an effect on peoples attitudes to making claims for injuries, then it is reasonable to assume that that attitude change has only come about in the last 10 years or so. If this is the case then there may well be a discernable age effect when it comes to people s inhibitions to making a claim. It was hypothesised that the older the age group the less likely it would be that they would consider making a claim and that the tendency to make claims would be in a younger population. Although no precise age is put on younger or older it was expected that results would differentiate between those more likely to make a claim being younger than those less likely to make a claim. Therefore twelve age bands were targeted between (see annex 7). 3

13 A questionnaire was constructed using a seven point Likert Scale. This was piloted on a small sample (n=15). Some changes were made to items and the questionnaire in response to feedback and the questionnaire was again piloted, internal reliability = To get the cross section of people needed, a rail company was approached and permission was requested to use their train services on a particular route in Derbyshire. This was done to limit the geographical area from which the sample would be taken. The reason being to control for, as far as possible, external influences on the sample that may influence attitudes to and attitude change to the phenomena being investigated. It was assumed that a sample from a more homogenous population would have similar influences acting on them than from a more heterogeneous sample (in this case promoting lowered inhibitions in reporting and claiming compensation for slip and trip accidents). Cut off points along the route were calculated so that questionnaires were not given out beyond a certain point. This allowed good time for respondents to complete the questionnaire and constrained the sample within geographical limits. Members of the general public travelling between Buxton and Stockport completed 400 questionnaires over two days. The questionnaires were distributed between 0730 and 1700hrs each day, so that as diverse a section of the public could be sampled. This resulted in a good population fit in relation to the age groups, as compared to the population of each age group given in the 2001 Census. 4

14 3 RESULTS Interview and focus group summaries from solicitors, insurance, retail and manufacturing sectors were analysed thematically can be found in annexes 1-6. Results were analysed using SPSS v13. A one-way between groups ANOVA was used which looked for any age differences across the sample. T-tests were used to determine statistical differences within the response categories for each question. Results were significant at the p = >.001 level. The only difference in attitudes, regarding age, was for those under 21 and those over 65 who were more likely to make a claim than any other age group. See Annex 7 for full analysis 3.1 MAIN FINDINGS Claims peaked about three to five years ago (See annexes 1, 3, 4, 5, 6). Reporting and recording of accidents has increased as a defence against claims. Some of which are reportable under RIDDOR (See annexes 1, 4, 5). Claims can take up to three years to be lodged, therefore good recording is considered necessary (See annexes 5, 6). Findings support the literature that the litigation culture in this country is a myth but in some parts of the country employees are more litigious than others (See annexes 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7). Trades Unions filter out flimsy claims from members. (See annex 1). Insurers pay out claims that are small or have gone on a long time (See annexes 5, 6). Individuals who have made a successful claim identified themselves as more likely to claim again if they had an accident, in comparison to people who have not claimed before (See annex 7). People are more likely to claim against impersonal organizations e.g. local council (See annexes 3, 5, 6, 7). People are more likely to claim for more serious injuries (See annex 7). People are more likely to claim if their complaint has been ignored compensation is often irrelevant (See annex 5). People are less likely to claim if their complaint has been acknowledged (See annex 5). The combinations of litigation and health and safety visits (both advisory and enforcement) were therefore all seen as essential to improving safety (See annexes 1, 2). Younger people years are more likely to claim, as are older people over 65 (See annex 7). 5

15 Insurance companies may be fuelling claims in their readiness to settle small claims (See annexes 2, 5, 6). The majority of claims are settled out of court (See annexes 1, 6). The majority of claims are for small amounts e.g (See annexes 1, 3,). Solicitors and Trades Unions see risk management as the best policy (See annexes 1, 2). There is little awareness of the Slip and Trip Priority Programme (See annexes 1, 2). Slips and Trips are the most common form of accidents in the retail sector (See annexes 1, 3). Threat of litigation has caused organizations to put H/S policies in place (See annexes 1, 3, 4). There is greater awareness of rights by the public (See annexes 1, 6). It is now easier to pursue a claim after an accident than 15 years ago (See annex 6). Solicitors are liable for no win fees but these can be recovered through costs in a win situation (See annex 2). Solicitors are not always aware of the legitimacy of a claim when they take it on (See annex 2). There is no evidence to support the fact that family members and/or friends, encourage/influence people to bring legal action for compensation (See annex 7). 6

16 4 DISCUSSION The findings appear to support the literature, see Bamber (2005), that the so-called litigation culture is a myth, certainly in the work situation. It is now easier to pursue litigation and people are more aware of their rights (there is evidence that there may be one or two hotspots for litigation in the country, where employees are more likely to pursue litigation for compensation purposes but this would need to be investigated further as to why). Results indicate that people appear to be reluctant to bring action unless they have sustained serious injuries (see annex 7). Where legal action is brought against organizations it is usually because the individual perceives they have a justifiable complaint and this is being ignored (see annex 5). Recognition that there is a genuine grievance appears to be enough to ward legal action off in the majority of cases (see annex 5). This is not to say that frivolous claims are not being made but the majority of these are not pursued far. The tendency for insurance companies to pay out small claims, almost without question does appear to increase the likelihood of people claiming again, if they have a minor accident (see annex 5,7). Although organizations make a full investigation after each incident is reported, some incidents are reported after the event, which makes it difficult to determine the causation (See annex 5). However, when incidents are reported at the time, there is usually an associated hazard to be found (See annex 5). In respect to the reporting/recording of accidents organizations are recording all accidents, however, trivial in order to defend themselves against the possibility of claims being made (See annexes 1,4,5). Organizations are also more likely to offer to send people for a check up at a hospital, again as a precautionary measure (See annex 5). By doing so this may result in a RIDDOR report. Results indicate that claims may well have peaked over the last two to three years (See annexes 1,3,4,5,6). This may well be due to organizations being better able to defend the more frivolous claims because of their reporting procedures and having more robust H/S policies/systems in place (See annexes 1,3,4). There appears to still be little knowledge of the Slip and Trip priority Programme (See annexes 1,2). 7

17 5 CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, although the popular press would have us think otherwise, there is little evidence to support the myth of the litigation culture. This is supported by the literature. The threat of litigation has caused organizations to tighten up their policies on reporting and recording accidents as well as putting controls in place. The increase in RIDDOR statistics may be a result of organizations, especially retail, reporting more incidents as a self-defence mechanism against the threat of litigation. This is particularly so where members of the general public are concerned. Increased reporting and recording of accidents may well have resulted in an increase in RIDDOR reporting, as a precaution against future litigation claims, especially were precautionary measures are taken up, e.g. offering to take the person to hospital for a check up, even for minor accidents. On the positive side for HSE the fear of litigation has caused organizations to put into place control measures and policies on accident reduction. Although this may have resulted in an apparent increase, statistically, in the number of reported accidents, long-term benefits may accrue because of organizations implementing control policies. Both solicitors and Trades Unions see the necessity of continued HSE regulation to promote accident reduction in the workplace. It appears, however, that the insurance industry may be encouraging claims to be made for minor accidents, thereby encouraging more reporting, by paying out small claims without challenge, as it is cheaper to do so. HSE can play an important role here by engaging with Insurance companies to offer help and support in understanding how slips and trips are caused and can be prevented. HSE have already held a seminar in January 2005 with the Association of British Insurers on these issues as a step towards this. The results of this work may indicate that employers/managers (as a precaution against possible litigation) may well be offering employees checkups at hospitals after an incident, whereas in the past they did not do this, so triggering a RIDDOR report. This may mean that statistical analysis of RIDDOR data may well be exaggerating the number of slip and trip incidents compared to five to ten years ago (these are more predominant in the retail sector, where members of the general public are concerned) despite the efforts of the Slip and Trip Priority Programme. 8

18 6 RECOMMENDATIONS HSE needs to engage with the Insurance Sector to help and support them in understanding how slips and trips are caused and can be prevented. HSE should also approach the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) to explore how they can help and support their members in understanding how slips and trips are caused and can be prevented. 9

20 8 APPENDICES 8.1 ANNEX Summary of Trade Union interviews Impact of Litigation vs. health and safety visits The threat of litigation and the use of enforcement health and safety visits were seen as effective methods to improve safety in the workplace. The use of advisory health and safety visits were also seen as effective, but perhaps not as effective, due to the lack of some form of sanction. It was suggested that some employers need the threat of sanctions in order to get them make changes, whilst other employers will happily make changes without this threat. The combinations of litigation and health and safety visits (both advisory and enforcement) were therefore all seen as essential to improving safety Blame culture The interviewees did not feel that there is a blame culture in relation to slips and trips, they did note, however, that awareness is now much better. It was also suggested that the threshold that individuals have for accidents has decreased. This was illustrated by explaining that someone losing the tip of a finger might have been seen as a part of the job some time ago. Now people are less likely to tolerate such accidents as a part of the job and believe that the employer should have protected them against such an accident occurring The claim culture One interviewee noted that the claim culture can be counter productive, as this results in time and money being wasted by putting in useless interventions in order to cover companies against claims, just in case there is an accident. An example was given of the implementation of handrails in a location where they were not really needed. This was likened to coffee cups with hot contents warnings on them Awareness of the Slips and Trips Priority Programme (PP) Whilst some interviewees were aware of the Slips and Trips PP, others were not. It was also recognised that generally employers are unaware of the Slips and Trips PP Pattern of claims Slips and trips claims were noted to be at a steady rate now. One interviewee suggested that these claims steadied out around about It was also noted that over the years major accidents such as permanent disability have decreased, whilst minor accidents (e.g. requiring a very short time off work) have increased Pursuing claims Most often claims are only pursued if they have >50% chance of success. The better reporting of claims provides better evidence for pursuing claims, and can also help employers to fight claims in some cases. 11

21 Distribution of claims The retail sector makes up a large amount of claims, and slips and trips are generally one of the most common forms of accident claims Accident reporting Under reporting was still noted to be a potential issue. In some cases individuals may be talked out of reporting an accident Attributing accidents to a cause One interviewee suggested that attributing an accident to a cause (e.g. a slip or a trip) does make pursuing a claim easier. One example given for this was that the cause (the slip or trip) and effect (the injury, e.g. a broken ankle) could easily be seen with slips and trips. Other topics such as stress were noted to be less straightforward Frivolous / exaggerated / fraudulent claims It was generally suggested that frivolous claims get filtered out, making the success of such claims a rarity Settling claims Most claims are settled out of court Employer responsibility In some organisations, supervisors and employers see health and safety as a personal responsibility. Also many workers do not wish to work with colleagues who are unsafe. This results in more people re-attending training or being moved to different jobs if they are perceived to be at risk of having an accident Development of policies Whilst it was suggested that some organisations need the threat of litigation to produce new policies, other organisations will produce policies without the threat of litigation Encouraging reporting One interviewee noted that employers are now more likely to report and encourage reporting. Factors that affect reporting were noted to include: HSE and their legal powers e.g. with employers wanting to keep on the good side of inspectors Pressure from insurers and risk of common law claims Realisation that better informed employers are doing a better job and that good H&S is linked to good general practice Perception of slips and trips An interviewee noted that slips and trips are still not taken as seriously as other types of accident. It was noted that more notice is taken of slips and trips when work levels fall due to a large number of people away from work due to slips and trips, or when a slip or trip results in a fatality. 12

22 Employee loyalty Some employees were identified as reluctant to report accidents or make claims as this was sometimes perceived as putting a negative mark against them, which may impact on how their employer views them or promotions etc Payouts It was suggested that these could be as low as a few hundred pounds but then increase to thousands of pounds and above depending on the level of severity. The highest payouts were noted to be when a slip or trip results in permanent disability. 13

the compensation myth The Compensation Myth It is common to hear stories of the Compensation Culture or claims that Britain is becoming Risk Averse as a result of people claiming compensation. The truth

Personal Injury? What to Do? 1 If you have been involved in a road traffic accident, an accident at work or an accident in a public place, you may be liable for a compensation! Every personal injury case

: A guide to making a claim 2 Our guide to making a clinical negligence claim At Kingsley Napley, our guiding principle is to provide you with a dedicated client service and we aim to make the claims process

at work A guide for employers People who deal directly with the public may face aggressive or violent behaviour. They may be sworn at, threatened or even attacked. AT WORK a guide for employers This document

Compensation Claims Contents Employers' duties What kind of claims may be made? The tort of negligence Tort of breach of statutory duty Civil liability exclusions Conditions to be met for breach of statutory

Accidents at Work Everything you need to know Falling from ladders, slipping on a wet floor, lifting a heavy item, cutting yourself on a machine. Even in the 21st Century the workplace is still dangerous

Health and Safety Executive Assessment of slips safety information/ literature provided by flooring and footwear suppliers Prepared by the Health and Safety Laboratory for the Health and Safety Executive

A publication by Cute Injury How to make a personal injury claim A CLEAR AND CONCISE GUIDE TO THE PERSONAL INJURY CLAIMS PROCESS We provide professional and impartial advice from the outset and throughout

DEPARTMENT FOR CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS (DCA) REGULATION OF CLAIMS MANAGEMENT SERVICES CONSULTATION ON PART 2 OF THE COMPENSATION ACT 2006 SCOPE ORDER UNDER CLAUSE 3(2)(e); REGULATIONS UNDER CLAUSE 8 AND

Ministry of Defence Compensation Claims REPORT BY THE COMPTROLLER AND AUDITOR GENERAL HC 957 Session 2002-2003: 18 July 2003 LONDON: The Stationery Office 9.25 Ordered by the House of Commons to be printed

The Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act and its impact on Employers Liability by Terry Renouf, partner, Berrymans Lace Mawer Thank you for inviting me to speak today to CII members. I am talking to you

GUIDE TO PERSONAL INJURY/ACCIDENT CLAIMS At Richard Grogan & Associates we have Solicitors with significant experience and expertise who will advise and guide you through all matters relating to bringing

FIXED RECOVERABLE COSTS IN CLINICAL NEGLIGENCE PRE CONSULTATION RESPONSE BY Action against Medical Accidents Questionnaire The Government proposes to introduce fixed recoverable costs for all cases where

PERSONAL INJURY CLAIMS Frequently Asked Questions 1. Can I make a claim? If you have been injured because of the fault of someone else, you can claim financial compensation through the courts. The dependants

Department of Justice for Northern Ireland Alternative Methods of Funding Money Damages Claims A response by the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers June 2013 Page 1 of 8 The Association of Personal

Legal Action / Claiming Compensation in Scotland This help sheet explains your legal rights if you have been injured as a result of medical treatment and the steps involved in seeking compensation through

A Guide to Road Accidents info@injuryclaimspecialists.com Contents About this Guide 2 Introduction to Road Accidents 3 How long will a Road Accident Claim take? 4 The Personal Injury Claims Process for

Personal injury claims advice solicitors If you've suffered an accident or a personal injury that wasn't your fault, you could be entitled to make a compensation claim. Millbank solicitors personal injury

Introduction of a ban on the payment of referral fees in personal injury cases Equality Impact Assessment Introduction This Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) relates to amendments to the Legal Aid, Sentencing

Employment Law Guide Settlement Agreements (Formally known as Compromise Agreements) See the separate guide. Unfair Dismissal Length of employment Employees can only bring a claim for ordinary unfair dismissal

WORKPLACE COMPENSATION CLAIM SUCCESS THE 6 MOST COMMON MISTAKES PEOPLE MAKE What you need to know to make sure you have a successful workers compensation claim At Garling & Co we have dealt with thousands

Injury Allowance a guide for employers Introduction 1 Section 22 of the NHS terms and conditions of service handbook contains provisions for a new allowance known as the Injury Allowance that is effective

Accident and Incident Reporting and Investigation Children s and Adult Services www.southwark.gov.uk October 2012 Scope This procedure describes the arrangements for reporting and investigating accidents

Introduction: response to the Legal Services Board consultation: Referral fees, referral arrangements and fee sharing. Keoghs is the only top 100 law firm to focus exclusively on the insurance sector and

Policy for Preventing and Managing Critical Incident Stress Document reference number HSAG 2012/3 Document developed by Revision number 1.0 Document approved by Consultation with 14 September 2012 Presented

Accidents at Work Personal Legal Services This information relates to the law and procedures in England and Wales. Please contact us if you need advice about the law and procedure in other legal jurisdictions.

Work accident personal injury guide Winston Solicitors LLP Work related injury claims Many thousands of people are injured in accidents each year whilst in the workplace. There are thousands more suffering

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH FIXED RECOVERABLE COSTS PROPOSALS FOR CLINICAL NEGLIGENCE: Implications for patients access to justice and for patient safety Briefing by Action against Medical Accidents (AvMA) October

Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service County Court Rules Committee Consultative Document on Scale Costs A response by the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers 30 September 2011 Page 1 of 13 The

A Guide to Accident Investigations Introduction The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) report that in 2010/2011 171 workers were killed at work. A further 121,430 other injuries to employees were reported

February 2004 Legal Risks Associated With Email and Internet Use and Abuse by Employees The potential for abuse of email and Internet facilities provided at the workplace is virtually limitless and could

What is my claim worth? This is probably the most common and important question asked by a Claimant pursuing a personal injury claim. At the end of the day, it is the recovery of compensation for the injury

Claims Reporting Procedure This document includes:- An introduction to the claims reporting process Your Belmont contacts The life of your claim A review of the Ministry of Justice Reforms Introduction

1 WE RE HERE FOR YOU Expert local personal injury advice. 2 A guide to help you We know that an injury can cause a wide range of problems, more than just coping with your pain and discomfort. We re here

Gold Standard Insurance for NCS Trust Programme Deliverers What are the insurable risks to consider? Working with large, diverse and growing numbers of young people, some of them could be quite vulnerable.

Prohibit the offering of inducements or similar rewards as an encouragement to make a personal injury compensation claim IA No: MoJ 022/2014 Lead department or agency: Ministry of Justice Impact Assessment

Summary of the Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence Claims Market in England and Wales July 2015 Abstract: In this annual summary of the state of the Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence Claims Market

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION 1.1 Introduction Construction accidents are the third most likely cause of work-related injury, after mining and agriculture. For every 100,000 workers in the construction industry,

April 25, 2010 Institute for Work & Health United Kingdom Description of the organization of the occupational health and safety system and the delivery of prevention services Report to the Expert Advisory

June 2013 MARSH INSIGHTS: OUTLOOK: PERSPECTIVES ON TOPICAL RISK AND INSURANCE ISSUES FOR UK CORPORATES Over recent months we have profiled several developments in relation to insurance claims specifically

PAYMENT PROTECTION INSURANCE RESEARCH ANALYTICAL REPORT NOVEMBER 2015 ABOUT COMRES ComRes provides specialist research and insight into reputation, public policy and communications. It is a founding member

NOTES on Funding Your Claim Funding is important because with some forms of funding you might be required to pay costs (either to us or to the defendant). As such, we set out the options. For the reasons

Scottish Civil Justice Council Information gathering exercise on pre-action protocols A response by the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers May 2014 Page 1 of 8 The Association of Personal Injury Lawyers

ASSOCIATION OF PERSONAL INJURY LAWYERS Standard of competence for Portal Claims Handlers INTRODUCTION Standards of occupational competence Standards of occupational competence are widely used in many fields

Department of Education and Lifelong Learning / Education Establishments Policy and Procedures for the Reporting of Incidents of Violence, Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences November 2002 FOREWORD

Conditional fee agreements A client s guide Private funding a deterrent No win, no fee agreements are legally known as Conditional Fee Agreements. Conditional Fee Agreements are a way of funding personal

GUIDE TO FUNDING YOUR MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE CLAIM Because of the expert knowledge and depth of investigation required in order to bring a successful claim, negligence litigation can be expensive. Understandably,

Research and Library Service Paper 75/10 11 June 2010 NIAR 166-2010 Third Party Capture 1 Introduction This paper was commissioned by the Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment following concerns

Information You are asking advice from Thomson Snell & Passmore about a possible clinical negligence claim. Such claims are complex and it would greatly assist your understanding of the issues if you read

LC Paper No. CB(2)517/05-06(01) SUBMISSION OF THE LAW SOCIETY S WORKING PARTY TO THE LEGCO LEGAL AFFAIRS PANEL REGARDING THE OPERATIONS OF RECOVERY AGENTS IN HONG KONG 1. This is a submission of the Recovery

COMMITTEE ON COURT PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE REVIEW OF PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE IN RELATION TO PERSONAL INJURIES LITIGATION THE SUBMISSIONS OF THE ASSOCIATION OF PERSONAL INJURY LAWYERS FEBRUARY 2003 The executive

ASSOCIATION OF PERSONAL INJURY LAWYERS SCOTLAND Standard of competence for Litigators INTRODUCTION Standards of occupational competence Standards of occupational competence are widely used in many fields

Introduction This response is prepared on behalf of the Motor Accident Solicitors Society (MASS). MASS is a society of solicitors acting for the victims of motor accidents, including those involving Personal

Guidance from the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers Who do I turn to following an injury? Getting your life back on track following an injury A guide to your rights to advice and compensation following

CHAPTER 7: Problems with COIDA Contents 1. A compensation system in crisis... 141 2. Problems created by the compensation system and the Compensation Fund... 143 3. Problems created by employers... 146

SOLICITORS PERSONAL INJURY & CLAIMANT LITIGIOUS WORK 2011 This questionnaire is intended to provide underwriters with the information they require in order to understand how you control Personal Injury